U.S. Rep. Mike Collins and former football coach Derek Dooley each raised nearly $2 million in the opening stretch of their U.S. Senate campaigns, signaling both have the financial muscle for what could be a drawn-out GOP primary to take on Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff next year.
Dooley announced Monday he raised more than $1.8 million and will report roughly $1.7 million in cash on hand. Collins said late Sunday he brought in $1.9 million and is transferring another $1 million from his congressional account. He’ll report $2.4 million on hand.
Both totals rank among the largest opening hauls in recent Georgia history for Republican candidates in a competitive Senate primary – a sign each can tap deep reservoirs of support ahead of what’s expected to be one of the costliest, and nastiest, races on the midterm ballot.
Dooley’s fundraising reflects his close alliance with Gov. Brian Kemp, who recruited the former coach, endorsed his campaign, lobbied President Donald Trump to support him and urged his vast donor network to open their wallets to fund his bid.
His donor list is dotted with Kemp allies, including former Synovus executive Jimmy Blanchard, developer Manny Fialkow, United Distributors head Doug Hertz, philanthropist Pat Terwilliger and Billy Payne, an architect of Atlanta’s 1996 Olympic Games.
Collins, meanwhile, tapped a legion of small-dollar donors scattered across the U.S. His campaign said his haul came from more than 40,000 contributions averaging about $47 apiece, with donors in all 159 Georgia counties and all 50 states.
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Both are trying to set an aggressive pace in one of the nation’s most competitive Senate contests, with Collins running as a no-holds-barred MAGA loyalist and Dooley casting himself as a Kemp-backed outsider who can win a general election.
U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, a longtime coastal lawmaker and Trump ally who is partly self-financing his own campaign, is also in the race but has not yet reported fundraising totals for the July-September quarter.
All three are trying to impress Trump, who is said to be keeping close tabs on the reports before deciding whether to endorse or stay on the sidelines.
The eventual GOP nominee will take on Ossoff, who is widely viewed as both the most vulnerable Democrat on the Senate midterm map and one of the best prepared to defend his seat.
Ossoff reported more than $15.5 million in the bank in July and could add to that total when he releases his latest disclosure.
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
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